Server monitoring alerts

[SimpleSi]

Can anyone recommend a free tool to monitor if a server (w2k3 and w2k8) has restarted itself following a mains failure and send me an alert via email or SMS?

 

Simon

[paulellam]

Our Ups software will email, if an 'event' occurs. Which UPS do you use?

[SimpleSi]

No UPS

[Mcshammer_dj]

i have used skipole in the past

[SimpleSi]

That looks like a catch 22 - need a working server to test that another server is up/down

 

This is for single server sites - something that is run on startup to signal that an event has happened

 

Simon

[HPlum78]

Look for events 1074/76 (need to check those event IDs are correct) in the system log by running a scheduled task on start up. Think this would be the way to go(although a UPS would not go a miss!) you can eMail or as I would send an SMS (or both).

 

anyhow something like this

 

#Search the system log

$data=Get-EventLog -EntryType Error -LogName System | ?{$_.EventID -eq 1074 -or $_.EventID -eq 1076}

$emailFrom = "[email protected]"

$emailTo = "[email protected]"

$subject = "Events 1074 and 1076"

 

#Could I guess fish out the time of the events and add them to the body of the mail. Using the Get-Eventlog Cmdlet

$body = $data

 

#if this is running at start up and you have no UPS and all your servers go down, I would maybe give your mail server chance to be there!

$smtpServer = "your smtp server"

$smtp = new-object Net.Mail.SmtpClient($smtpServer)

$smtp.Send($emailFrom, $emailTo, $subject, $body

 

PowerShell is your friend here, say that all the time!

Edited December 17, 2013 by HPlum78

[chazzy2501]

spiceworks I think can do this. run it from your workstation, if a server goes down it'll nag you.

[cpjitservices]

Zabbix.

[HPlum78]

I never understand why people insist on using third party software to do what is core OS functionality, in W2K8 you can achieve the above by using event viewer and attaching a task to an event, PowerShell is just another way of doing this and is not a bad way to start learning how to use the OS to report on events that happen without installing odd bits of software. Try it you may find that you open up a whole new world and at the end of the day the time you spend installing and learning new bits of software could be used gaining new skills and a better understanding of the OSs you administrate.

[SimpleSi]

This guys new here - doesn't know who I am

 

But thanks for the info - will it work on w2k3 as well?

 

Simon

[cpjitservices]

I Agree with the fact that 2k8 can do it our of the box, we use Zabbix for the entire network. We know if theres a network outtage or a fault before a customer/user. We get alerts via SMS and email.

[nathan]

Zabbix.

 

another vote for this, such great software.

[mdrabble]

Anyone got an idiots guide to setting up Zabbix?

[HPlum78]

Right that was not a dig at anyone, more a general gripe. No way of attaching tasks to events in server 2k3 from event viewer, the PS Script should do the same in 2k3 all the way up to 2k12, may need to look a little different if using PS v 1.0 but use the above as a starter for 10.

[cpjitservices]

Build it from source - its the easiest way to install on CentOS add the EPEL repo. Follow the guides on the Zabbix site.

 

Anyone got an idiots guide to setting up Zabbix?

[SPFLDHSTech]

Why haven't you got a UPS?